Monsanto seed plant construction halted in Argentina

A labor appeals court in north-central Argentina ruled that the construction of a Monsanto plant is unconstitutional, halting work on the site.

The three judge court ruled 2-1 in favor of the activists who
filed a legal appeal against Monsanto’s GMO seed plant on
environmental protection grounds in the municipality of Malvinas
Argentinas, located in central Cordoba Province.

“We have filed a criminal complaint to inform the prosecutor
of certain irregularities in violation of environmental law that
have occurred in the heart of the Ministry of the Environment
which is involved with authorizations of projects,” attorney
Raúl Montenegro told Revolution News.

The construction at the site has been suspended until an
environmental assessment is completed to determine the plant’s
future impact on the area.

Local newspaper La Voz reported that the environmental study
could be completed as soon as early February.

The multinational company said it will appeal the decision.
“We consider our right to build legitimate since we have
complied with all legal requirements and have obtained
authorization to build according to the regulations,” said
Monsanto’s statement.

The company stated that it already conducted an environmental
assessment, which is currently under the review by the provincial
Secretary of the Environment.

Activists had been blockading the construction site for 113 days,
preventing workers from completing work on the plant.

Monsanto countered in a statement that “for over three months
Monsanto employees and contractors had not been able to exercise
their right to work, due to the action of extremists who blocked
the site, incited violence and systematically ignored judicial
decisions."

In October a new report
revealed that pesticides sold by Monsanto are linked to health
problems ranging from birth defects to elevated rates of cancer
in Argentina. A lack of regulations has led to widespread misuse
of Monsanto’s products in the Latin American nation.

An Associated Press investigation pointed to a clear link between
the use of pesticides sold by Monsanto and worsening health
problems in Argentina. The AP documented a number of occasions
when toxic pesticides were used close to populated areas and
consequently contaminated the water supply and caused health
problems.

The multinational company is facing global criticism elsewhere as
well. In October thousands took to streets across the world’s
cities to protest
the use of GMO products, with Monsanto a common target. Over 50
countries have been taking part in the march for world food day,
and across 47 different US states.

The demonstrators have been calling for the permanent boycott of
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and “other harmful
agro-chemicals,” according to March Against Monsanto’s
official webpage.

A previous anti-Monsanto protest was held in May. It started as a
small event, but turned into a global campaign with over 2
million people in 436 cities, across 52 countries, joining the
rallies.

Monsanto saw its shares surge
by more than 2 percent on Wednesday morning after announcing
better-than-expected first quarter earnings earlier that day. The
company said that for the quarter ending November 30, 2013 it
earned $368 million, or 69 cents per share. One year earlier, the
company earned only $339 million during that period, the
Associated Press reported.